Who is your favorite Shinsengumi character in 銀魂 Gintama? *I have been pronouncing 沖田総司 as Okita Sō"shi," however correctly it is Okita Sō"ji!" I apologize for the mistake!😭 ・ In this channel, you can take a closer look at Japanese traditional culture, tips upon traveling to Kyoto, and social problems in Japan. So learners and lovers of Japanese language and culture, be sure to subscribe to enjoy more content! Please check out the description box for more videos recommended for you! Thank you again very much for watching!
I've heard about the Shinsengumi and I was aware of their popularity but now that I know their story it's easy to understand why they're still famous. They were the underdogs, common men, talented, dreamers, caught in the middle of the machinations of two powerful political factions. Goddammit, this is heartbreaking.
I often think of the cultural "popularity" of the Shinsengumi as being akin to that of Cowboys. They were both ultimately short lived groups, but they managed to make themselves iconic for their feats.
@@kuroneko7022 The conflict between them and Native Americans wasn't really one sided, and they didn't make the bison go extinct. It became almost extinct, and now thrives due to conservation.
@@kuroneko7022 The Native Americans had already almost exterminated buffalo hundreds of years before the cowboys even showed up. They put a HUGE dent in their numbers through hunting.
"Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo, my spirit guards my lord in the East." Hijikata Toshizo's death poem. He died defending the short-lived Republic of Ezo (Hokkaido) but remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate to the end.
Same, it was through my love of the character nagakura shinpachi that I started to get more curious about the Shinsengumi as a whole. And I love hearing about their history. Even if it only last 5 years.
This was really interesting! I actually learned about the shinsengumi thanks to dating simulators (otome games). It was nice to have some context about their cultural importance
Though I first learned of the Shinsengumi through Rurouni Kenshin. I really learned their history through the otome game franchise Hakuouki. You should make a 2nd part talking about the other members.
Ah yes, Rurouni Kenshin is such a very cool manga. I like it because the swordplay in it was actually based on real stuff that existed (Including that paralysis stuff that Udou Jin-e does, it's pure hypnotism)
@@KlavierMenn Rurouni Kenshin's setting and most of the chars are good, but the MC, Kenshin, is a complete fucktard suffering a case of MPD and with a Jesus syndrome. His characterization ruins an otherwise good Anime. Regardless, the hints about the Shinsengumi in this Anime are few, far in between and rarely in a really good light, thing that is exacerbated by Saito Hajime there being a complete psychopath.
@@Pdor_figlio_di_Kmer While I can't really enjoy Kenshin anymore (the creator being caught with CP really, REALLY soured my opinion of his works, particularly since he's still actively involved in and profiting from it), that's a really baseless criticism. I mean, we're all entitled to our opinions, so I won't say that you're "wrong" necessarily, but I fail to see where you're coming from in the slightest.
@@FlorenceFox What I wrote above is to be intended my opinion. I consider you all free to think otherwise. On the same ken, I still stand my personal point.
I'm a huge fan of the animation series "Hakuouki" which features the story of the Shinsengumi. Of course several elements of this anime are fictional, but I was very surprised to learn that all the characters were based on real people and that fueled my interest and research in their stories a few years ago. Thank you very much for one of the most concise and easy to understand explanations of the Shinsengumi! I particularly enjoyed and appreciated your presentation of the historical and political events in Japan which led to the formation of the Shinsengumi. Many thanks again to you for this informative, educational and fascinating video! Looking forward to more! 😀👍
Same here dude! I personally didn’t care for the romantic elements but when you get into the making of and backstory of Hakuouki, it kinda blew me away how many historical Easter eggs they had in the series. The games more than the anime. Reimeiroku (JPN only) was actually the best game. Not about scoring a hot samurai, but staying alive. There is an old Live Journal called Tokio Fujita that goes into tons of detail about the series and history.
@@miyako1909 Lol wtf? That’s every gacha game out of Japan these days. Fate is the least guilty of this. Yeah, they genderbend a lot of historical figures but if anything there is a pretty decent balance of waifu’s and husbandos comparatively.
It makes me so happy to hear that Gintama is your favourite anime! And as a loyal fan of the show myself, I'm thankful that I got to learn so much about the history and inspirations behind these silly characters... Though I have to admit that it was hard to listen to these men's backstory without constantly thinking of how they would've looked in Gintama >< And I gotta say, Kondo is a unique and refined choice! Most people (including myself) are swept away by Hijikata's and Okita's charm, but we need more Kondo appreciation!
The ones in Gintama don't even have the same first names as the real historical figures. Peace maker Kurogane and Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem are better.
My english report was about Tokugawa era due to my love for Rurouni Kenshin’s tsuioku-hen. While doing my research (and watching the OVA about Kenshin’s past) made me love and respect the shinsengumi more.
I had to write a short story in my sophomore English class back in high school and I wrote a variant story from this anime (which is my favorite). I didn’t copy the anime but instead I based it off of a possible situation from history that Gensai Kawakami would have been involved in. I had the highest grade in the class but the teacher thought I misspelled the names so I was five points off of a perfect score.
One of my favorite manga is Kaze Hikaru by Taeko Watanabe and it's all about Shinsengumi. The people and incidents you talked about were familiar because of this manga. The author takes a lot of effort to include historical information while keeping the story entertaining with the main fictional character. This video did help me understand the relationship between the imperial family and shogun much better. Thank you, Shogo!
I seen several adaptations of the Shinsengumi. Hakuouki, Rurouni kenshin, and NHK Shinsengumi 2004 drama. And some movies about them. Just a fan of of their history.
I first heard about the Shinsengumi through anime, but the movie 'When the Last Sword is Drawn' is what solidified my personal interest in the organization as a whole. Saito Hajime was my favorite character in both instances.
I wanted to cry when you mentioned Kondou Isami's death. It wasn't fair :( The fist time when I heard about Shinsengumi was in Gintama, and lately in Rurōni Kenshin And my favorite character in Gintama of the Shinsengumi is Hijikata -w-, he is such a Mayora
It used to Okita, Young and tragic genius swordsman. Then finally it settled on Hijikata. The Demon Vice Commander who kept going despite fighting a losing war. First time I saw them was Ghost Sweeper Mikami. But I didn't pay an interest till Rurouni Kenshin with Saitou Hajime and Okita's appearence. The Ikedaya incident that was animated in the OVA also grew my interest. Later on Peace Maker Kurogane did the same. Than I saw Shura no Toki, which showed Hijikata as more of a brawler compared to Okita. Than Hakuoki. I actually visited the grave of Kondo in Tokyo, and also went to the Shinsengumi Museam in Hino. There is also some background history to it aswell. Like the fact that alot of the people in the area were descended from the Takeda clan. True or not is another story. Also one of Hijikata's swords is on display there. Its also because there are in a sense an underdog. They are a group of Ronin, who found a place to belong no matter how short.
Great video as always. My first approach with the Shinsengumi was with the character Saito Hajime from Rurouni Kenshin and he inmediately became my favorite character from the show.
Just finished watching Shinsengumi (NHK’s Taiga drama in 2004) Have never cried so much tears. I first found out about Shinsengumi in Hakuoki, and became immensely interested in the Bakumatsu period thereafter. It’s hands down the best historical drama I’ve ever watched.
I just did a search for Shinsengumi videos on your channel, I love the Shinsegumi Movie with Toshiro Mifune, When the Last Sword is Drawn, and even Sword of Doom. Shinsengumi The Wolfes of Mibu
"When the Last Sword Is Drawn " is a brilliant movie about the Shinsengumi. If you have not had a chance to see it do so. I you know of any others please let me know. I enjoy your channel and the frank open way which you discuss things. Keep up the the good work. we watching!!!
Man, I'll never get over what a dirtbag Watsuki ended up being (the author of Rurouni Kenshin). I actually have '悪即斬' (Aku Soku Zan) tattooed on my chest because I loved that series (and especially Saitoh Hajime) so much.
I wonder how the Japanese public feels about that. As a Westerner, what the author did is sick. Even if legal, looking at that kind of pornographic content is a moral no-go. The reason their law is different, is because their moral construct is also different in this regard. I get the author paid his dues in the eyes of Japanese law, but what I don't know, is whether most of the Japanese public sees that as "ok, what's done is done, debt was paid, no biggie" kinda deal, or more like "I don't wanna hear anything from that guy from now on"
What Watsuki did was equal to consuming narcotics. He did not make the narcotics, he did not sell the narcotics to real life people. He used it for himself, and paid price for it according to the Law. People in the west unfairly treated him like a real life child molester, while all he did was buying a porn video and watched it for himself. He never hurt anyone or any child in real life.
I am brazilian, always enjoyed stories of romantic heroes like knights, as well as samurai and ninjas. There is something universal about aspiring for noble values, sacrificing for something greater, even without reward or even recognition. The underdog who fights with all his or her heart, the surpassing of limits, the proving of themselves and their larger than life adventures. Real or not, there's something extremely human in such tales and how they inspire us all. I loved seeing your video and was delighted to know more about the Shinsengumi. I'm very grateful for you sharing such rich culture!
Like I was imagining them just chasing the person their supposed to catch the beat them up part is just how Gintama usually beat people up by stepping and punching them 😂 I can't xDD
My favorite Shinsengumi media is actually the otome game Hakuoki, but I'm also partial to the NHK drama Shinsengumi! I'm looking forward to being able to see the new Moeyo Ken. I'm sure it's apparent who my favorite member of the Shinsengumi is just based upon my icon, and I hope that writing a historical fiction novel about them can make more Americans aware of this interesting and incredible group of men. Thank you for a wonderful video.
Hajime Saito is not only one of my favorite anime characters but, one of my favorite historical figures. I first saw him in Rurouni Kenshin but, didn’t learn he was an actual historical figure until about a decade later. After researching his life my respect for him not only grew but, I was also amazed at the interesting life he lead. Great video!
As a Gintama and Shinsengumi fans, this video really make the fangirl side of me come up lol. I read a lot of Shinsengumi from shoujo manga called 風光る (Int'l title: Flash of Wind) but your video make me understand more about the politic situation on that era. You explain it in easy way to understand. Thank you for this video! In Gintama or Shinsengumi, my favorite is the one and only, Demon Vice-Chief Hijikata Toshizo 😆
I second that. Although I was first introduced to Shinsengumi from Hajime Saito character in Rurouni Kenshin, I read a lot of them from Kaze Hikaru. Did the author finished the story yet? The last volume I read was 26 or 27 and it was a long time ago.
I heard about them from a game called 薄桜鬼, where all the characters except like 1 were based on Shinsengumi , and all those Shinsengumi characters are characters in the game. It also had that Ikedaya Jiken. I did not realise how much of it took from actual history. This is so interesting, your video is really easy to understand compared to all those history books.
I remember watching and hearing about the Shinsengumi in Kenshin. I ended up doing a report on them in high school, and bought about 4 books on them. NHK also had a drama at the time (2003 or 4) and I remember watching that every Saturday
Thank you very much, really enjoyed. For me the shinsengumi have always been a big confusing subject (also because I'm in general more interested in sengoku-jidai / early edo) not really grasping if they were "good guys" or "bad guys" (to make it very simple) after watching this video I really understand, of course as you explain the historical context it's very important. Great video
I find that I gain greater appreciation for fictionalized individuals/groups once I better understand the actual histories of such individual groups. Ever since I was introduced to the Shinsengumi as a sort of trope in Japanese anime/manga, I've been seeking to find out more about them. I'm also developing an interest in Japanese poetry, and will probably be consulting this video again in the near future. Excellent and informative! Thank you!
Your goal statement of 100k subscribers by next January caught my attention. That being said a million by 2023 is possible. Good luck with that, and thank you for everything you share.
This video is great! Thank u so much for explane the history of Shinsengumi. I know them because of Rurouni Kenshin but ended loved them for Hakuoki. I travel to Japan twice and i talked to a girl who was in love with Okita haha it was so awesome!!! I went to Shinsengumi Museum in kyoto it was a dream come true!
I know this video is a couple years old but I just finished playing through rise of the ronin and while I know there is some writing freedom and some facts that are changed it really made me curious about the Westernization period of the Edo. Thanks for this video It's one of those stories where the heroes became the monsters the government needed to take the fall.
I just have to say I really like lessening you, it's not just the accent (which I like) it's just I'm not an English native, and your English is so easy to understand
It was actually Hakuouki Shinsengumi that made me hear, and know about the Shinsengumi. Anime/ Movie and game. If I could say who I liked the most based off the anime, it was Saito.
What got me into knowing about Shinsengumi is an anime called Peace Maker. In the anime Hijikata likes to write poems and he is very annoyed whenever Okita steals his poems to read as amusement. Now I know some historical fact based on this... Okita's suffering due to tuberculosis has always got me depressed, but now I know Kondo has the most tragic death among them. Thank you for making this video
I'm here because 「龍が如く 維新」 (aka Yakuza Ishin) is my favorite game in its franchise. No matter how loosely it is based on the stories of the Shinsengumi and Sakamoto Ryoma, even though it is so old, it still shines.
Hi Shogo! I found my interest in the Shinsengumi from the Ryu ga Gotoku spin-off game, Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin! as soon as i saw that my favorite Japanese culture youtuber had a video on the Shinsengumi, I just KNEW that you HAD to cover Okita Sōji and I SCREAMED with exitment! Okita Sōji in the game is portrayed by the reoccurring character in the main series: Majima Goro. Now, I love Majima and I loved Ishin's version of Okita, so, I wanted to learn more about the actual Okita! Thanks to you, I got to learn even MORE about him and it makes me so so happy! I adore the courage and honor these once low class men have and how hard they fought and i love that I can see those traits portrayed in Ishin as well.
I would love to hear you talk more about aspects of gintama that are untranslatable or unfamiliar to an English speaking audience. Your videos are great! You also have some of the best explainers of historical LGBT topics out there.
I first heard of the Shinsengumi through Rurouni Kenshin then looked more into them when I watched Hakuoki years ago. Their tragedy was spawned from the times they were born in.
It's all because of "Hakuouki" that I got here, but I'm actually becoming interested in something related to history, so... Thank you for an informative video!
i learned of the shinsengumi from a video game, total war fall of the shogun the sky blue and white outfit is so striking and charming thank you for the rundown on these guys, fren
I thought Hajime Saito was one of the big three in the Shinsengumi. I heard about them through Rorouni Kenshin anime. I think he was the only character portrayed by a real historical person. Many fans of the anime were disappointed when they learned that Battousai was a fictional character, cause he was a blend of different swordsmen at that time. Their tragic death though was strangely familiar to another samurai group. Which Sanosuke Isigara was a part of in that same anime. Anyway, thanks for the history lessons. It was really an eye opener.
Listening to your story about the u s a conquest, “You speak as the last Samurai of The Shogunate”…. You live the story you speak🌹 I have listened with great pleasure, you are a great story teller💯
I have always found the time period fascinating, the interactions of groups like the Shinsengumi, the Ishin shishi (which I think is more a descriptor than an organization) and individuals such as Kawakami Gensai, who could be considered the real life Battousai, are just an endless rabbit hole of history and political intrigue to fall into.
KENSHIN HIMURA THE BATOSAI!! Hope I spelled all that right but, that's the show which got me into anime. I love that you mentioned it. Awesome content my man!
I knew about the Shinsengumi from Hakuoki, learning that most of the game was based in people who existed just caught my interest. Then found I Gintama, I really love Gintama, I laugh a lot from it and enjoy the balance of funny and silly with the serious and emotional moments. I wanna add that when someone does fiction on historical events there's always a challenge on what to show. There's no 100% faithful representation of a period and its setting, and it's ok to take some creative licenses. It's very human to do storytelling as a way to communicate and connect.
